Wed May 15 2:01pm ET
Field Level Media
Christmas Day for NFL marketing and ticket sales departments finally arrived Wednesday with the release of the 2024 season schedule.
With subplots and peripheral angles multiplying before our eyes - hello, Netflix, welcome to NFL holiday football broadcasts - Field Level Media's football-minded contributors assembled the top 25 games of 2024.
24. Cardinals at Jets, TBD: We're grabbing our popcorn for one matchup, and one matchup alone: Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner. Top five draft picks likely to be near the top of the pecking order at their position for a decade.
23. Colts at Patriots, TBD: Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, meet Anthony Richardson, drafted fourth overall in 2023. Indianapolis appeared to have a hit on its hands before Richardson was shut down to undergo shoulder surgery. If he can stay healthy and Maye isn't relegated to clipboard duty behind former Colts starter Jacoby Brissett, we're eager to make early evaluations of purported franchise QBs.
22. Jaguars at Eagles, TBD: Young QBs and strong pass rush are common bonds, sure, but the plotline we're looking at is the reception for Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson. He played for the Eagles (1999) but was essentially a coach-in-training for Donovan McNabb, then served as an assistant for Andy Reid and came back from a stint in KC for a five-year run that included a Super Bowl.
21. Bears at Texans, TBD: The Bears also get a meeting with the Carolina Panthers for the second consecutive season. With all due respect to Panthers 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young, the top rookie quarterback last season was Houston's C.J. Stroud. His numbers would have been the best ever single-season passing total for a Bears QB (4,108 to Erik Kramer's team record of 3,803). Stroud had 26 TD passes including the playoffs despite missing time with a concussion). The Bears hitched their wagon to No. 1 pick Caleb Williams with the rookie carrying massive talent - and expectations - in Year 1.
20. Vikings at Giants, TBD: All of the QB uncertainty one can handle on the undercard, LSU products Justin Jefferson (Vikings) and Malik Nabers (Giants) in the main event.
19. 49ers at Seahawks, TBD: Maybe you overlooked it. There's not a chance Brock Purdy did. He knows new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald's defense - that of the Ravens - had him seeing ghosts in a five-interception laugher on Christmas Night last season. Macdonald's new club has a bunch of cross-training chess pieces determined to unseat the 49ers from the NFC West perch.
18. Jets at 49ers, Sept. 9: Week 1 on "Monday Night Football" is a familiar refrain for the Jets, who are hoping Aaron Rodgers has some magic left following a season-ending injury four snaps into his first start with the team in 2023. Rodgers is local - Chico, Calif., Butte JC and Cal - and went 6-3 against the 49ers with the Packers. Now 40 years old, he'll try to tip the scales toward the Jets, who are 3-11 all-time in the series with San Francisco. Jets head coach Robert Saleh has known 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan since breaking into the NFL as a low-level assistant with the Texans 15 years ago and was defensive coordinator on his staff before taking over with the Jets.
17. Cowboys at Commanders, TBD: Dan Quinn gets his second chance as a head coach in Washington and to be the champ in the NFC East, he'll have to take down his previous employer and boss, the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy. Given the amount of time Quinn spent with McCarthy and Dak Prescott, don't discount the level of concern the Cowboys have entering two games with Washington.
16. Eagles vs. Packers (Brazil), Sept. 6: The youngest roster in the NFL last season belonged to the Packers, and nobody can fault what Green Bay did in the offseason. Head coach Matt LaFleur debuts his offense with Josh Jacobs at running back and a new-look defense. It'll also be a big reveal game for the Eagles, unleashing their own big-ticket offseason item, Saquon Barkley, and a number of new faces on defense.
15. Falcons at Vikings, TBD: Welcome back, Kirk Cousins, congratulations on finding a team that didn't want to invest in a young quarterback to insure its $100M guarantee to a 35-year-old starter coming off an Achilles injury. Oops. Cousins could be hailed or hated for bailing on the Vikings in free agency following 50 regular-season wins in six seasons of Skol-ing.
14. Ravens at Chargers, TBD: Los Angeles and new hire Jim Harbaugh welcome John Harbaugh and the Ravens with entertainment expected to be rich before, during and after a matchup of AFC heavyweights. John Harbaugh won the last meeting and survived a brief power outage at the Super Bowl in New Orleans to take home the Lombardi and deal Jim's 49ers a painful defeat.
13. Steelers at Broncos, Week 2: Revenge games bring out the spirit and emotion you might not otherwise find in games that don't include Mike Tomlin. Pittsburgh picked up Russell Wilson after he was scrapped at a cost north of $80 million to Denver by second-year head coach Sean Payton. Payton, of course, is still in town and brought in a rookie, Oregon's Bo Nix, to train in the system that helped make Drew Brees a legend. Don't look now, but Pittsburgh had a sneaky excellent offseason while the Broncos shed leaders and linchpins on both sides of the ball (Wilson, Justin Simmons, Jerry Jeudy). If reunions are your thing, Payton also heads back to New Orleans this season.
12. Jets at Bills, Week 17: We know they'll get an earlier go at each other on "Monday Night Football" In October, but let's give the season time to breath and Aaron Rodgers time to round back into form. He'll be recently removed from his 41st birthday but should know the names of all of his wide receivers, a task Josh Allen might need more time to complete.
11. Ravens at Cowboys, TBD: Dak Prescott was great at home last season and Dallas fortified the offensive line through the draft. Whether new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has an answer for mobile quarterbacks - namely Lamar Jackson - might be the hot-button issue for the Cowboys. Baltimore's No. 1-ranked defense in 2023 also traveled well last season, battering Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert and limiting those three teams to a combined 36 points in Ravens' road wins.
10. 49ers at Packers, Nov. 24: Week 12 and the start of a pivotal, NFC-dominated, primetime featured stretch for Green Bay with nighttime marquee matchups at Detroit (Week 14) and Seattle (Week 15) ahead. Jordan Love's two interceptions stopped the Packers short of an upset at San Francisco in the divisional playoffs in January.
9. Texans at Cowboys, TBD: C.J. Stroud appears to be special and the Texans made sure his supporting cast wouldn't be a reason for a sophomore slump. But one warning: only the Bills and Patriots have a more difficult schedule based on 2023 results and offseason moves. Among the appealing underlying matchups: Houston wide receiver Stefon Diggs vs. Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs.
8. Bears at Packers, Jan. 5: The Week 18 finale was meaningful for Green Bay last season, and Jordan Love guided the Packers into the postseason to sweep the Bears and continue the trend Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers started. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams makes his first foray into the likely frozen tundra. Will the Bears be playing for more than a spoiler token?
7. Dolphins at 49ers, TBD: It was Dec. 4, 2022, and far more meaningful than we knew at the time when a seventh-round rookie - 49ers QB Brock Purdy - made his first career start with two TD passes in a 33-17 home win over the Miami Dolphins. Back to the scene come the Dolphins with former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel a solid bet to share some unknown intel about old boss Kyle Shanahan in the game week buildup.
6. Ravens at Chiefs, Sept. 5: Had this one been bumped back a couple months to multiply the meaningfulness in the standings and AFC playoff picture, it had an angle on a top three game of the 2024 regular season. Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes remains must-see for all the right reasons.
5. 49ers at Bills, Dec. 4: The week-after-Thanksgiving primetime game on Sunday of Week 13 should be meaningful for teams with Super Bowl aspirations.
4. Rams at Lions, TBD: Two franchises on schedule to combine for more than $350 million in deposits into Jared Goff's bank account are back at it with Detroit out to duplicate their playoff win in January over one-time Lions QB Matthew Stafford.
3. Ravens at Eagles, TBD: Star power on display? Check-check. Potential Super Bowl preview? Sure thing. Saquon Barkley (Eagles) and Derrick Henry (Ravens) add firepower to a pair of offenses with explosive potential.
2. Lions at 49ers, TBD: Other than tackle eligible, think of another phrase that could spike Dan Campbell's temperature more than "at San Francisco." Didn't think so. The Lions were halfway to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl leading the 49ers handily in the NFC Championship but coughed up a 17-point lead and bowed out of the playoffs in a 34-31 defeat instead. If Campbell circled this game on the schedule in ink, we're guessing you can't read it.
1. (tie) Chiefs at 49ers, TBD: Familiar enough to be rivals, the Chiefs left with the jewels in recent games that really mattered between teams with a combined 50-18 record the past two regular seasons. San Francisco took a lashing from the Chiefs, 44-23, at home in Oct. 23 before the dawning of the Brock Purdy era.
1. (tie) Bengals at Chiefs, TBD: Don't forget Joe Burrow, he's more than the highest-paid player in 2024. The Bengals quarterback is 3-1 against the Chiefs but was sidelined with a broken wrist when the teams played in 2023. Don't look for a warm reception in Kansas City, where fans aren't soon to forget Burrow's boys calling the Chiefs' stadium "Burrow-head" based on his success at the home of Patrick Mahomes.
New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins caught four of his five targets for 64 yards during Thursday's Week 11 win over the New York Jets. The veteran receiver continues to produce at a high level with teammate Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) sidelined. Hollins now has 19 catches and 268 yards over his last four games, tallying 10+ fantasy points (PPR) in three of those four contests. While we could see his volume get slightly scaled back if Boutte returns in Week 12, there's no denying that Hollins has established himself as one of Drake Maye's favorite targets so far. He should continue to be a mid-to-low WR3/flex for Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets wide receiver John Metchie III caught all three of his targets for 45 yards and a touchdown during Thursday's Week 11 loss against the New England Patriots. Metchie played 82.5 percent of the snaps in the defeat, shattering his previous season-high snap share of 16 percent. Thursday's game also featured Metchie's first touchdown this season and just the second of his career. The 25-year-old was presented with increased opportunities to contribute on primetime television after Garrett Wilson (knee) was placed on injured reserve. The Jets may ride the hot hand in the passing game going forward, but Metchie has an early leg up on the rest of his competition. He can be viewed as a low-end WR3/flex in deeper leagues ahead of Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs caught nine of his 11 targets for 105 yards during Thursday's Week 11 victory over the New York Jets. The 31-year-old has been terrific lately, and even though his three-game touchdown streak came to an end Thursday, he still has five consecutive games with 10+ fantasy points (PPR). Diggs was on the field for 69.7 percent of the snaps in the victory, eclipsing his previous season-high by more than six percentage points. The increased involvement is a promising sign for fantasy managers, and so, too, is his continued success. The Patriots are on a roll, and their top pass catcher should continue to be deployed as a high-end WR2 heading into next week's battle against the Cincinnati Bengals.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields completed 15 of his 26 pass attempts for 116 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions during Thursday's Week 11 loss against the New England Patriots. He also added 11 rushing attempts, 67 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown. While Fields had another poor game passing, he salvaged his fantasy performance with a solid rushing performance. It wasn't enough to keep the Jets' win streak alive, but it was likely enough to prompt fantasy managers to consider starting him next week against the Baltimore Ravens. Fields is best viewed as a low-floor, high-ceiling QB2 in fantasy football.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 25 of his 34 pass attempts for 281 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions during Thursday's Week 11 win over the New York Jets. He also took one sack and rushed for two yards. The former No. 2 pick didn't have to go above and beyond on Thursday as the Patriots prioritized running the football to beat New York. Nevertheless, Maye still attempted 34 passes and improved his season completion rate by one-fifth of a percentage point. He continues to rank as the highest-scoring quarterback in fantasy football, and he has also propelled his team to sole possession of first place in the NFL standings. Fantasy managers should continue to view Maye as a high-end QB1 heading into Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson capitalized on a favorable matchup against the New York Jets in Week 11, scoring three touchdowns as the Patriots became the first team in the NFL to reach nine wins this season. Henderson totaled 19 carries, 62 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, five catches, 31 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. While he remained relatively inefficient in terms of yards per carry, he dominated in nearly every other category. Henderson took advantage of an increased workload with Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) sidelined, handling a career-high 88 percent snap share and 24 total touches. Stevenson is getting closer to returning, but the rookie has proven that he deserves to be the lead back even when Stevenson is healthy. Henderson should continue to be viewed as a high-end RB2 in fantasy football.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams (ankle) has been ruled out for the remainder of Thursday's Week 11 contest against the New York Jets. Williams briefly exited early in the game, and while he did get back into the contest during the first half, he left again and has since been ruled out. According to the Amazon Prime broadcast, the veteran lineman only played eight snaps as the Patriots tested his injury before choosing to keep him out of the game. Cory Durden should continue to earn more snaps in his absence. Williams is a talented, veteran defender, and the fact that he tried to re-enter the contest should leave fans optimistic that he could suit up in Week 12.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (hip) was a limited participant in practice for the second day in a row on Thursday. Strange remains on injured reserve, but he was designated to return earlier this week, triggering a 21-day window in which he can practice without being officially activated. The 24-year-old's practice participation leaves his status for Week 11 up in the air. Being limited is a step in the right direction, but the Jaguars could choose to wait to activate him until he's 100 percent. Whenever he does return, he'll rank as a low-end TE1, earning a solid target share with Travis Hunter (knee) sidelined and Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle) underperforming. Strange had 19 catches for 182 yards through his first four games earlier this year.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (groin, shin) did not practice on Thursday. The rookie had logged a limited session on Wednesday, and it seemed like he was trending in the right direction, but his downgraded status on Thursday is not a good sign. He'll likely need to get back on the field in some capacity on Friday in order to have any chance of playing in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams. The rookie impressed in his last game with four catches, 48 yards, and two touchdowns, but he has since fallen down a rung on the depth chart after Seattle acquired Rashid Shaheed. Although Horton is a high-upside dynasty stash, he's not a reliable redraft option at the moment.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (concussion) was a full participant in practice again on Thursday. The 23-year-old posted inconsistent results when healthy earlier this season, operating behind Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin. Mims performs best in big-play scenarios and special teams returns, but he's shown some trouble consistently producing ahead of Sutton and Franklin. The 23-year-old is expected to play in Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he'll merely rank as a WR5.
From RotoBaller
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice again on Thursday. The veteran receiver is trying to work his way back from a hamstring injury that he suffered in Week 6. Tennessee's pass catchers haven't missed a beat since Ridley went down, as Chimere Dike has 12 catches for 168 yards since then, and Elic Ayomanor has nine catches for 127 yards. The Titans continue to struggle on both sides of the ball, but a high frequency of negative game scripts has left Tennessee's receivers in a relatively favorable fantasy position. The two rookies are low-end WR3/flex options, while Ridley can be benched in most leagues.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. The 23-year-old is trying to work his way back from a high-ankle sprain that caused him to miss Week 10. He has been significantly underwhelming during his second pro season, catching 30 passes for 420 yards and one touchdown through eight games. While the season-ending injury to Travis Hunter (knee) seemed like it could open the door for Thomas to get more involved, Jacksonville addressed that issue by trading for Jakobi Meyers. Parker Washington has also seen an increase in volume. As a result, Thomas remains an inconsistent fantasy option, even when he's healthy enough to play again. Managers should view him as a WR2 with a low floor.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams (ankle) exited during the first quarter of Thursday's Week 11 contest against the New York Jets. He is officially listed as questionable to return. He did not register a statistic prior to his departure. The veteran defensive lineman was one of the Patriots' key acquisitions last offseason, and he has lived up to the hype with 27 tackles and 3.5 sacks so far. The 26-year-old's absence is bad news for the New England defense as it looks to contain the Jets' run-heavy offense. Cory Durden should earn more snaps with Williams listed as questionable.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's Rich Cimini reports that New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields "could be playing for his job" on Thursday night versus the division-rival New England Patriots. Fields has four sub-100-yard passing games (most in the league), including three in the last four games. The 26-year-old signal-caller has led the Jets to two straight wins, but he's going to need to perform better to hold off veteran QB Tyrod Taylor moving forward. It's not going to be easy on Thursday evening against an 8-2 Patriots team, especially with receivers Garrett Wilson (knee) and Josh Reynolds (hip) on Injured Reserve. Fields has completed only 63.5% of his 178 pass attempts for 1,143 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception in eight starts. He has limited turnovers, but he's also attempted fewer runs. Fields might need to go off as a rusher to save his job in Week 11.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell will make his debut with the team in Week 11 in the Thursday night divisional game versus the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Jets acquired Mitchell at last week's trade deadline in the deal that sent star cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts. Mitchell was a healthy scratch in last week's win over the Cleveland Browns, but now he'll make his debut for Gang Green, and he could immediately have a big role in New York with both Garrett Wilson (knee) and Josh Reynolds (hip) currently on Injured Reserve. The 23-year-old former second-rounder has big-play potential, but he's still looking for his first NFL touchdown after dropping a would-be long touchdown earlier this year, right before he crossed the goal line with the Colts. Mitchell is worth a deep-league flier for his opportunity in his new digs.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots running back Terrell Jennings (knee), who was listed as questionable this week, is officially active for the Thursday Night Football contest in Week 11 against the division-rival New York Jets. Jennings suffered a bruised knee in the Week 10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is good to go on Thursday evening. Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) will miss his third straight game, so Jennings should once again see an elevated role in New England's backfield as the change-of-pace weapon behind rookie TreVeyon Henderson. The 24-year-old Jennings saw double-digit touches in Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons, but fantasy managers in deeper leagues cannot count on that again on a short week with Jennings coming off an injury, especially after Henderson had 147 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries last week.
From RotoBaller
The New York Jets are expected to start Justin Fields at quarterback on Thursday night against the division-rival New England Patriots, according to Albert Breer. Although the expectation is that Fields would make another start under center for the Jets after winning a second straight game in Week 10, head coach Aaron Glenn refused to make an official announcement. Fields' last game against the Patriots was at Gillette in 2022 when he played for the Chicago Bears, and he led them to a 33-14 win, throwing for 179 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 82 yards and another score. Fields hasn't been great in his first year with the Jets in eight starts, but he hasn't had much to work with through the air, and now top wideout Garrett Wilson (knee) is on Injured Reserve. Unless Fields can run all over the Pats again on Thursday night, it might be another rough fantasy showing for the former first-rounder.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tyler Lockett (knee) is on the team's Week 11 injury report after he was limited in the first practice of the week on Thursday due to a knee injury, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. In his second game with the Raiders in last Thursday's loss to the Denver Broncos, Lockett played 57% of the offensive snaps and had season-highs in catches (five), targets (six), and receiving yards (44) in a game that featured very little offense. The 33-year-old veteran is a little banged up going into a Week 11 Monday night matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, but he should be able to suit up as long as he doesn't have a setback with his knee on Friday or Saturday. The Raiders' offense has been extremely lackluster, especially in the passing game, but Lockett has chemistry with quarterback Geno Smith from their time in Seattle and should continue to be involved alongside Tre Tucker and tight end Brock Bowers. Lockett could be a sneaky flex target in a great matchup against Dallas' D.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Chargers rookie first-round running back Omarion Hampton (ankle) was seen working off on a side field with a trainer again on Thursday, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN. Hampton last played in Week 5 and remains on Injured Reserve due to a high-ankle sprain, but he appears to be making progress in his recovery and could have his 21-day practice window opened by the Chargers soon. The 22-year-old will not return in Week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars before the team goes on their bye in Week 12. Depending on how much progress Hampton can make in the next couple weeks, though, he could have a chance to make his return for a divisional clash at home against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 13 on Sunday, Nov. 30. Before his injury, Hampton was in line to be a workhorse for the Bolts after Najee Harris' (Achilles) season-ending surgery. Hampton should not be floating around on any waiver wires.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (quadriceps) is not included on the Week 11 injury report as the team gets ready to face the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, according to the team's website. Smith was in some pain last Thursday night against the Denver Broncos when he suffered a bruised quadriceps, and he was even replaced in the game for a bit by Kenny Pickett. The 35-year-old eventually returned to finish the 10-7 loss, but he was hobbling around pretty good. The extra time off heading into Week 11 appears to have done the veteran QB some good, and he should be fine to play against Dallas on Monday after practicing in full on Wednesday. Smith has mostly been a liability for fantasy managers in his first year in Vegas, but he'll have some QB2 streaming appeal this week against a bad Cowboys secondary.
From RotoBaller